The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-08-31

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some day. Why, you might as we'll
pretend ignorance of your own exist
ence. You'd give the world if she
would say yes, and yet you are not
brave enough to try"
Miss Carlton received his attentions
as she might those of brother, quietly
and yet with no affected reserve. She
was always glad to meet him, but
her manner was always polite to all,
and her urbanity uniform. and without
seeming to avoid him, she never gave
him an opportunity for anything nearer
and more confidential than she did
other young men. John was sorely
puzzled to understand her. His knowl-
edge of women, either society bellies
or school girls, was totally different to
the ways of this little woman who was
either wholly unconscious of his love,
or a hirt skilled in all of the arts of
coquetry, and using her experience
with master hand to keep him close
enough to charm him, and yet far
enough to chill any declaration of love.
One day the girls burst into his Office
with a shout. "Some news, Jack, for
you. You might as we'll give up now.
You'll never get her. No use crying,
either. You will have to accept one
of us now, and so you might as we'll
be binding UP your wounded affections.
We brought you a sprig of willow (;
that's what forlorn maidens and lovers
wear"
Now, girls, it's unfair to get a fell
low excited this way. Who is this
mysterious she, and what shall wear
the willow for? A handful of candy
to the one that tells the plainest, most
easily understood story. Proceed,
Effie; Grace and May are busy steal
ing my lead-pencils."
Now, Jack, you know we mean Miss
Carlton. She's the only woman you
ever loved, and don't wonder you like
her. She's the only teacher that We
girls can bear, and we all just worship
her. Why yesterday, when we were
watching for you, Grace got TO talking
about you: she's always at that. L
believe she wants you herself, but she
won't get you. You always did belong
to me, didn't you, Jack? Bob your
head-yes-well,t then she told Miss
Carlton how you despised women who
and how you scolded us for having
always such lot of baggage. And
then we all told her about that day she
came in with us, and what you had said
about counting the first woman you saw
who carried no extra luggage. And l
said. We'll, whoever gets Jack Reed
will have an easy time, for he's rich;
and Grace snapped me up with, Yes,
and somebody'll take him for that, too
Miss Cartoons cheeks fiushed-ain't
she pretty when she bushes. Jack p
and she said, taking her locket from
the ribbon, Here is dear, good man,
girls, and oh the prettiest face you
ever saw; if he wasn't her beau I'd
have him. And then she pushed that
little old-fashioned pearl ring farther
back on her finger and sighed. And
when May asked her if it was her
brother she said, ooh, no! but he is
very dear
Jacks tawny mustache concealed the
firmly shut lips, but the wrinkles came
in his forehead, and he looked sad for
a moment, but the girls kept him chat
tering until, satisfied with promises of
an unlimited stock of candy the next
time he came, they swept out, taking
all the sunshine with them, and leay-
ing the old law Office, he thought,
muster and darker than ever.
So his day dream had had its rude
awakening his air castle was shattered
and in ru ms, and his idol the beloved
the idle talk of the girls, but it had at
least saved him from paining both the
lady and himself by the proffer of an
affection that must have been rejected.
But so completely had he given his
whole heart to her that it did not swerve
from her though now he knew how USE
less it was to hope.
He had no thought of going to her
to try to win from her response to
his pleadings. She knew who to tell
that it might reach his ears as delicate
ly as possible, and having read his love
| by his actions, now wanted him to
| know how fruitless were his desires.
And yet why had she manifested pleas
ure in his company, for though she
was shy and timid yet she had seemed
to enjoy his society, and had always
received him with at least apparent
and books or music had been accepted
cordially, and, of no intrinsic value, had
been carefully kept, and he had dared to
hope it might be for his sake. But
that was all over now. He would
gradually make his visits less frequent
and in time he would fade from her
memory and then well, there were the
girls; they at least would always be
glad to see him.
The winter and the spring passed
slowly by, for they all missed Jack at
the academy as the long evenings
~ N M Il Il